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Under current law, liquor may not be sold in a package store after 9:00PM.
HB 824 would allow a customer to complete their purchase if they're in a store before 9:00 PM. but have not completed a purchase by that time. Under HB 824 the customer would be allowed a reasonable amount of time after 9:00 PM to finish shopping.
The statement of purpose on TLO adds helpful background to this issue:
"Interested parties note that the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) has an informal policy that allows a customer to complete a purchase if the customer is in a store before 9:00 p.m. but has not completed a purchase by that time. These parties have expressed concerns regarding the lack of a statutory mechanism authorizing this type of sale. H.B. 824 amends the applicable law to address this concern."
No changes were made to this legislation in the Senate committee.
Senate chamber sponsor: Eltife
First chamber analysis:
The question of whether the state should have laws governing what time of day certain products may be sold is debatable at best. This legislation protects businesses and consumers from potential legal liability for following an informal TABC policy that has no statutory backing. While it may be only a marginal change, this legislation does promote individual liberty and limited government.